The first versions of the Kinect for Windows SDK and runtime were made available for download Wednesday, enabling companies to start installing platforms. Development, at a cost of "hundreds of
millions of dollars," took the company many years of research. Craig Eisler, GM for Kinect for Windows, wrote in a blog post that efforts resulted from cross-Microsoft collaboration from hardware and
software teams, along with support from manufacturing, supply chain, reverse logistics, and accounting.
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer announced the release during the Consumer Electronics Show
Keynote in January. It's another attempt to build out a successful developer ecosystem for Windows.